Murkowski: Count absentee ballots

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Aug. 25 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski trails challenger Joe Miller in Alaska's Republican primary election, but she says it "ain't over" yet.

"It ain't over yet folks. There are thousands of absentees that are yet to come in," Murkowski said Wednesday from her Anchorage campaign headquarters, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

With 84 percent of precincts reporting, Miller had 45,188 votes (51.09 percent) to 42,633 (48.91 percent) for Murkowski.

Miller, who was endorsed by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Express, said he was "absolutely certain" Palin's support for his campaign was "pivotal," the Daily News reported. Murkowski said she thought Palin was "out for her own self-interest. I don't think she's out for Alaska's interest."

There will not be an official result for a week, the newspaper said. Alaska elections officials said more than 16,000 absentee ballots were requested and only about 7,600 had been returned by Monday night.

Sitka Mayor Scott Adams had a comfortable lead Tuesday night over the other candidates for the Democratic Senate nomination, Frank Vondersaar and Jacob Seth Kern.

Rep. Don Young was leading challenger Sheldon Fisher 70 percent to 23 percent in the Republican primary for the House of Representatives. Young will face Democrat Harry Crawford in November.

Gov. Sean Parnell, who succeeded Palin when she resigned as governor in 2009, was headed for a victory in the GOP gubernatorial primary. Parnell had 49.49 percent of the vote to 33.95 percent for Bill Walker. In the Democratic primary, Ethan Berkowitz had 48.64 percent to 38.88 percent for Hollis French.

Alaskan voters approved an initiative requiring parental notification before someone 17 years old or younger can receive an abortion -- unless a teen can demonstrate to a judge or obtain a notarized statement by a physician that she is abused in the home.